Mechanical movement



(No Model.) 7 A. W. STERNKE.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

110.34%,003. Patented Dec. 15, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT WVM. STERNKE, OF GAYLORD, MINNESOTA.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,003, dated December15, 1891. Application filed July 13, 1891. Serial No. 399.297. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT 1VM.STERNKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Gaylord, in the county of Sibley and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and usef 111 Improvements in MechanicalMovements; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to mechanical movements, and has for its object toprovide a simple and efficient device for communicating rotary motion inopposite directions from a shaft running in a constant direction. Inmany machines it is desirable to reverse the direction of acounter-shaft without reversing the direction of the driving-shaft. 1accomplish this result by equipping the shaft, which runs in a constantdirection, with right and left Worms or screw-threads and providing anintermediate gearing for driving the countershaft, which is engageableat will with one or the other of said worms or disengageable from bothto stop the counter-shaft.

In my preferred construction the countershaft is provided with agear-wheel fixed thereto, and the intermediate gearing is mounted on apivoted support, which is preferably the counter-shaft, and is made tothrow one or the other of said worms into action on the counter-shaft byswinging the gearing on its pivoted support.

I have illustrated the invention as a reversing device for varying thedirection of the driving-wheel of a traction-engine without reversingthe engine.

In the accompanying drawings, like letters referring to like partsthroughout, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a traction-engine embodyingthe said invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the power-shaft saddle andthe reversing device detached. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing aslightly-modified form of the reversin g device, some of the parts beingbroken away. A

A is one of the driving-wheels, B one of the front truck-wheels, O theboiler,D D the en gine, and E the power-shaft, of an ordinarytraction-engine.

F is the saddle, mounted on the boiler and supporting the power-shaft.

A is a bevel gear-wheel fixed to the driving-axle or driving-wheel A.

G is the counter-shaft, provided at its lower end with a beveled pinionG, engaging the gear-wheel A for imparting motion thereto from thepower-shaft. At its lower end the counter-shaft G is mounted in asuitable bearing, (not shown,) and at its upper end it is journaled in abracket f, projecting from the saddle F. The upper end of thepower-shaft projects through the bearing-bracket fand is provided with agear-wheel G, fixed thereto.

H II are a pair of plates spaced apart and pivoted at their center onthe upper end of the counter-shaft, the same constituting a pivotedsupport, in which is mounted the intermediate gearing. In my preferredconstruction, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a pair of double gears K K aremounted in the opposite extremities of this pivoted support. Thepower-shaft E has keyed thereto a sleeve L, provided with the right andleft worms or screw-threads M M. The smaller member of each of thedouble gears is in constant engagement with the gear-wheel on thecountershaft, and the larger member of each of the same corresponds toand is adapted to engage with corresponding worms M and M to con-. neotthe same or throw the same into action on the counter-shaft.

N is a hand-lever with catch-pawl N moving over the segment orlever-arch N provided with a connecting-rod P, connected to an extensionh, projecting from one end of the pivoted support H H for swinging thesaid support on its pivot, as may be required. The connection of the rodP to the extension h is preferably made by a swivel-heady). By thishand-lever the intermediate gears K and K can be either both disengagedentirely from the power-shaft or either of the same may be thrown intoengagement with its corresponding worm M or M. Hence the power shaft maybe driven in a constant direction and themotion of the counter-shaft Gbe reversed at will.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 a single intermediate gear Q isemployed, and the pivoted support, instead of having simply a shortrocking lnotioil, is adapted to swing around through about three-fourthsof the circle, so as to engage either one or the other of the gears, asmay be desired. It is locked in its Working position by a pin R or inany other suitable way.

It is evident that a reversing device of this kind is generallyapplicable throughout the mechanic arts wherever it is desired tocommunicate rotary motion in opposite directions at will from a shaftrunning in a constant direction. Another such device might beemployedfor example, on a traction-engineto control the steering-wheelfrom the powershaft.

The device has a special value in tractionengines or in connection withthe power-shaft of engines generally, as it avoids the necessity ofusing a reversing-valve motion for the engine. Even with some forms ofreversingvalve gear this device would be of service, as many of them canbe set to give good steam distribution when running in a singledirection, but not when arranged to run'both ways.

In other words, with some forms of valve-gear a good motion can beobtained in one direction atthe expense of the other.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows: 1. The cornbination,with a shaft running in aconstant direction and equipped with right and left worms orscrew-threads, of a countershaft having a geanwheel fixed thereto, apivoted support, and intermediate gearing mounted in said supportconstantly in connection with the gear-of the counter-shaft andmovable'by swinging the said support to engage'one or the other of saidworms, substantially as described.

2. The combination,with a shaft moving in a constant direction andequipped with right and left worms or screw-threads, of a counter-shafthaving a gear-wheel fixed thereto, a pair of intermediate gears both incon stant connection with the gear of said counter-shaft, correspondingtoand adapted to engage one with each of said worms, and asupport forsaid intermediate gears pivoted to the counter-shaft and movable thereonto throw one or the other of said intermediate gears into connectionwith its corresponding worm or to disengage-both from thep'ower-shaft,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT WM. STERNKE.

Witnesses;

CHARLES W. OLAsEN. FRANK M. NORTON.

